Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to an error in submitting a wrong form, and now requires a Statement of the Case (SOC) before further appellate consideration.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy is granted. The TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance eligibility prior to July 26, 2022 are also granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and for entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating of his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was denied. The Board also granted TDIU and SMC based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his lumbar spine disorder.

The Veteran's right hip disability is denied as it did not manifest in service or within one year of discharge, and there is no evidence linking the current condition to service.,The Veteran's left foot sinus tarsitis with possible remote injury to the left distal deep peroneal nerve (claimed as left ankle disability) is granted as her symptoms first manifested during service and are related to wearing tight footwear.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for COPD and a low back disorder due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The Veteran's COPD may be related to his exposure to herbicides in service, or secondary to his lung cancer. His low back disorder is not likely related to service.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted service connection, while the left shoulder disability issue is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spine, cervical spine, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, and degenerative arthritis disabilities are found to have originated during active service. The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative disc disease is also found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of his service-connected left fibula fracture and degenerative arthritis of the ankle is being remanded due to factual disputes regarding the severity of his disability prior to February 17, 2015.

The Veteran's right knee disability was granted a 20 percent rating for recurrent subluxation from December 21, 2022. A separate 20 percent rating was also granted for cartilage damage from December 3, 2021. The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 70 percent from February 19, 2021 to July 23, 2022 and TDIU based solely on PTSD was granted starting from the same date.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities make it impossible for him to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU.

The Board has granted restoration of a 40 percent rating for lumbar spine disability, effective May 1, 2019. The claims for increased ratings in excess of 40 percent for lumbar spine disability and 30 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity associated with lumbar spine disability are remanded.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating may be warranted based on functional loss. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment, thus denying his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee osteoarthritis were denied as the Veteran failed to report for VA examinations without good cause.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a right thumb fracture and degenerative arthritis due to inadequate discussion regarding the adequacy of the VA Hand and Finger examination, as well as unclear findings on symptoms of numbness, coldness, and tingling.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for additional development due to insufficient opinions regarding whether his hip disability is a congenital defect or disease, and if so, whether it was aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a new VA examination to evaluate her service-connected right knee and left knee disabilities, as well as to consider the revised rating criteria effective February 7, 2021. The Veteran is also requested to provide a legible copy of an October 2011 VA knee examination.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating greater than 10 percent prior to March 27, 2019, for her back disability (lumbar strain and degenerative arthritis) is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his conditions.